Door panel and the like



Sept. 15, 1925. 1,553,913

J. REGENSTEIN DOOR PANEL AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 2, 1923 2 Shun-Sheet V z'm a Mine/sq: 6 Zfseph %qns2em Sept. 15, 1925.

Y J. REGENSTEIN DOOR PANEL AND THE LIKE Filed rb. 2, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 177/1/6 n/fm';

(fitness: 59%??? 696 6m Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES Josnrn REGENSTEIN, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DOOR PANEL AND THE LIKE.

Application filed February 2, 1923. Serial No. 616,475.

T 0 all whom it may concern: I

Belt known that I, JOSEPH R GENSTE N, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door Panels and the like, of which the following is a specification. a

This invention has to do with .certain improvements in panelsfor the doors of vehicles, but it will presently appear that certain features of the invention can also be used to advantage in connection with panels for other purposes. Nevertheless, inasmuch as the features of the. present invention are particularly useful in connection with use on door panels, I have illustrated and will particularly describe such use. In so doing, I wish itdistinctly understood that I do not intend to limit myself to this particular use, except as I may do so in the claim.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a door panel having the edge portion of its pocket opening reinforced by a metal strip so as to give it a greatly improved finish and also to materially increase the strength, durability and permanence of the structure.

Another object of the invention is to so form this metal strip protection that it will be very securely and permanently held in place around the edge of the opening in the panel.

Another feature of the invention relates to the manner in which the strip is initially formed and set into placearound the edge of the panel opening, and in this connection, a further object is to provide an improved arrangement and machine for securing the strips permanently into position.

Other objects and uses of the invention will appear from a detailed description of the same, which consists in the features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed. r

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a face view of a door panel embodying the features of thepresent in-.

vention;

Fig. 2 shows on enlarged scale a fragmentary sectional view of a pair of dies, together with-a portion of the panel and the edging strip, the edging strip bein initial form before it Is clinc ed into place, and the dies being shown in separated position;

shown in its Fig. 3 shows a view similarto that of Fig. 2, with the exception that the dies have been forced together and the edging strip has been clinched into place around the edge of the panel opening;

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the edging strip in its/initial form, portions of it being broken away and Fig. 5 shows a facelview of one of the die plates on smaller scale than Figs. 2 and 3.

The door-panel itself is designated in its entirety by the numeral 6. It has an opening 7 for the pocket or for any other suitable purpose. The door panel 6 is out to the proper contour and size to meet the conditions of service which it is to perform; and

for'this purpose I have shown it as provided with a recess 8 andthe lock opening 9 in accordance with usual practice.

The opening has its-edge portions 10, 11 and 12 protected by a metal reinforcement 13. This metal reinforcement is in the form of a strip bent to the proper shape to set against the edges 10, 11 and 12, said metal strip being clinched over and securely biting the faces of the bot y portion ofthe panel itself.

The metal strip when in working position assumes the form shown in Fig. 3, wherein it appears that its edges 1% and 15 are clinched against the opposite faces 16 and 17 of the body of the panel. I

The metal strip is initially made in the form shown in Flg. 4-, wherein its cross section is curved so as to present an outwardly facing concave surface 18. The general shape and size of tliestrip in this form are such that it can be very easily sprung into place around the edges of the opening 7. After this has been done the die plates 19 and 20 are brought into service in order to clinch the edges 14; and 15 against the faces of the panel. These die plates 19 and 20 are provided with the concave die channels 21 lar cross section; and as shown in Fig. 5 these dies extend around the faces of the respective plates in the proper form toclinch the edges of the strip throughout their entire strip to bend over and cause its edges 14 and 15 to clinch against the faces of the panel and 22 which are of substantially semicircuwhen the dies are forced together, as shown in Fig. 3.

The upper edge 23 of the opening 7 is, in Fig. 1, shown as being unprovided with av re-inforcing strip. This edge has been illustrated in this form because ordinarily the pocket opening 7 is closed by a flap, which is hinged along the edge 23. Manifest-1y, if no such hinged flap were to be used, the edge 23 might also be reinforced and protected by carrying the metal strip throughout its length' I wish to point out that in addition to protecting the edge of the panel material this reinforcing strip also serves to materially strengthen the central portion of the panel and protect it against ending or warping.

vThe amount of this protection will, of

course, depend upon the cross section and form of the reinforcing strip when in place, but it has been found that when the' strip is made of thickness and size suitable for edge protection, it also adds materially to th bending stiffness of the panel itself.

Manifestly, other portions of the edge of the panel might also be protected by the use of some strips properly clinched into place. For example, the recess 8 is shown as being provided with a short protecting strip 24 which is clinched into place in manner similar to that already explained.

While I have herein shown and described only a, single embodiment of the features of my present invention, still I do not limit myself to the same except as I may do so in the claim.

Iclaim:

As a new article of manufacture, a door panel having its periphery out to the desired contour and size and provided with a central pocket opening, and a reinforcing and protecting strip along the sides and across the bottom of said opening, said protecting strip comprising a U,-shaped flexible strip of metal of curved cross section with its concave surface facing outwardly to set snugly against the sides and bottom of the opening, the edge portions of said strip being clinched inwardly against the opposite faces of the edge rtion of the panel opening, whereby the ct ges of the strip are embedded into the panel material and whereby the strip is securely held in place with respect to the edge portion of the opening, and whereby the sides and bottom of the panel are reinforced and the edge of its opening protected, substantially as described.

JOSEPH REGENSTEIN. 

